Royals Rumblings - News for December 14, 2021

Royals Rumblings - News for December 14, 2021

R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports ranks the top prospects in baseball, with Bobby Witt, Jr. at #2.

Witt was selected with the No. 2 pick in the 2019 draft, making this the second time he’s finished a step behind Rutschman. That’s no knock on him, however, as he’s a high-grade prospect in his own right. He proved as much by hitting .290/.361/.575 with 33 home runs and 35 doubles across Double- and Triple-A in his first full professional season. There used to be fear that Witt would swing-and-miss too frequently to maximize his loud offensive tools; those concerns haven’t materialized, and he struck out in just 22.5 percent of his Triple-A plate appearances. Factor in an above-average glove, and Witt should accomplish something his father never did over the course of his 16-year big-league career as a pitcher: make an All-Star Game.

Jim Bowden at The Athletic grades each team’s off-season so far.

Grade: D

Free agents: RHP Taylor Clarke, 1 year/$975,000

Trades: Acquired RHP Zach Willeman from Dodgers, completing the Danny Duffy trade from July

The Royals’ plan all along has been to promote from within, so I can’t give them an “F” even though I wanted to. I’m surprised they couldn’t do more than signing right-handed reliever Taylor Clarke to a one-year deal. The Royals’ offseason priorities include adding a veteran left-handed reliever, a veteran starter and a bat with positional flexibility. They will need to get busy when the work stoppage ends.

Kevin O’Brien at Royals Reporter writes how the Royals and Cardinals are building similar teams.

Royals reliever Tyler Zuber joins the Champions School podcast.

MLB approves the Justin Verlander deal that was signed before the lockout.

The Rangers have interest in Japanese free agent Seiya Suzuki.

How the Yankees can salvage their off-season.

The Cubs add Johnny Washington as an assistant hitting coach.

Longtime MLB executive Roland Hemond died at the age of 92.

Johan Santana was one of the best Rule 5 draft picks ever.

MLB allowed Yasiel Puig to continue to play in 2017 despite settling with alleged victims of sexual assault.

Max Verstappen stuns Lewis Hamilton to win the Formula One championship in a controversial finish.

There is some doubt as to whether NHL players will head to the Olympics.

Inside the deodorant industry’s $22 billion effort to ditch plastic.

The conspiracy theorists behind the “Birds Aren’t Real” movement are in on the joke.

Peloton stock drops after a shocking death in the Sex in the City reboot.

Your song of the day is Lindsey Buckingham with Trouble.